The Power Within
by Mya.Jjay
Summary: I didn't know who the girl was...or if she even exsisted. But I had to try to find her...whoever she was...she needs my help. I just need to find her, and help her. But...who is she? Jason/OC
1. Chapter 1

**The Power Within**

**Jason's POV**

"THANK YOU TEXAS!!!!!!!!!"

I love it! I love it all! The crowd, the noise, the guitar, the music…THE FOOD!

Heck yeah. The food. Awesome.

I bounced off the stage after my little brothers, Shane and Nate, adrenaline still pumping through my veins.

"That was totally awesome, guys!" I exclaimed when we made it back-stage. "Like, EVERYTHING!"

"I know, man, right?!" Shane agreed, his eyes shining with the fierce passion he held for our job.

"Absolutely," Nate agreed in his quiet, serious voice. A small, rare smile was on his lips. I pulled them into a hug and grinned.

Suddenly, Shane pulled away. "Excuse me," he said coyly, then darted off to hug a small, brunette girl coming from the side entrance.

I watched with a weird feeling in my stomach as Shane and Mitchie hugged.

Why didn't I have someone to love like that?

Nate, too, pulled away to smile shyly at the smaller, curly-brown haired girl standing next to Mitchie. She ran over and hugged him around the neck, giggling.

Feeling slightly deflated, I wondered to my dressing room, my prize Gibson guitar still clutched in my hands. I set it on the stand and looked at it, sighing.

"I guess it's just you and me now, huh, buddy?" I murmured.

And you know what my guitar did?!

It fell.

* * *

**Ryliee's POV**

"And how do you feel tonight, Miss Ryliee?" Dr. Smith asked, smiling down at me.

I managed a weak grimace in his return. "Better. No pain…as usual. But, sir," I bit my lip. "…I'm losing something again."

Dr. Smith frowned. "What do you think it is? First love…then pain…"

"I think its happiness," I admitted sadly. "I'm depressed a lot. But it could be fear. I woke up feeling…almost normal today. Or it could be both."

The doctor sighed and noted something on his clip-board…my clipboard.

"Well, we'll see if things change," he said. "I'm sure we'll find a way to stop this, Ryliee. I promise."

I sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Goodnight." And he left.

"Goodnight," I whispered before rolling over in my hospital cot, another fear and pain filled night awaiting me…again.

* * *

**JPOV**

I climbed up my bunk's ladder and collapsed onto my pillow. Below me, Nate was already almost asleep, and Shane, across from him, was texting. Frankie, our little bro, had been asleep for some time now. I looked at the ceiling and closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew, I was dreaming.

A nightmare.

_A girl, Mexican looking and pretty, sat on a hospital bed. She was crying hard, her dark brown hair falling in her face. Her hand was red…with blood._

_She was screaming. "Help! Help, I can't feel it! Somebody, please, please!"_

_Suddenly, someone was rushing in and grabbed her bleeding hand. And then, I knew._

_She wasn't crying of the pain._

_She was crying because she couldn't feel it._

_At all, despite the dark blood dripping through her fingers and onto the linoleum floor, she could feel nothing…no pain. Nothing._

_I tried to look around…where was I? But I couldn't move._

_"It's okay, shh, it's all right."_

_Suddenly, I was looking down at the beautiful girl as she laid in bed as a lady, a nurse, by the looks of her, tucking her in. The girl's hand was bandaged and she had tear stains down her cheeks._

_"It's okay, Ryliee," the woman said. Ryliee? Was that the girl's name? "You'll be okay."_

_The girl did not answer. And the nurse faded._

_Not left. But faded._

_Ryliee, if that was her name, stared up at the celing, at me, and I got another glimpse of her beauty again. She looked my age, at least Shane's…but maybe that was because of the stress in her dark, dark eyes._

_The eyes are what hooked me. They were like…like chocolate…a deep, dark liquid chocolate._

_She stared at me…and whispered "Please…help me."_

I woke up crying, sobbing, into my pillow, Shane shaking my shoulder, calling my name, while Nate stared anxiously up at me from the floor.

"Jason! Jason!"

I looked up through my teary eyes at my younger brother.

One word escaped my lips.

"Ryliee."

All I knew was…I had to find this girl.

If she existed…I had to find her.

* * *

**Angie- I'm like crying here! P.S. Hormonal Cancer does not exsist. (Which is what Ryliee has more info in the next chapter.)**

**Alyssa- So you say. Try living feeling like you have it! REVIEW FOR OUR AWESOME STORY!! (P.S. This was my idea and my writing, all up there, YUP! YAY ME!)**

**Mya- alyssa needs some cheering up. she thinks shes suffering hormonal cancer. cheer her up with REVIEWS!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Someone asked about our characters ages. Well:**

**Jason: 20**

**Shane: 18**

**Ryliee: 17**

**Nate: 16**

**ON WITH THE STORY!!  
**

* * *

Chapter 2

**RPOV**

I woke up with a start. Was it already morning?

I groggily sat up and yawned, stretching.

Suddenly, something jolted through me like an electric shock. Not pain…it would be too good to be true if it were that.

As quickly as it came, it went, leaving me confused.

What happened? It was like…something had connected inside, like something was about to change.

But what?

**JPOV**

"Jason, are you okay, man?" Shane asked, staring down at me with worry in his eyes. I stared back at my little brother, not comprehending his words for a second. Then, I shook myself.

"Fine," I said. "What happened?"

"You were crying," Nate said quietly from his bed. "And by crying, I mean sobbing your lungs out. It was when your pet bird died, only…worse."

I raised my eyebrows. When Phil-the-bird died, it was awful. Even after Mom took him away I sat crying on my bed for hours.

I think the whole house could have heard me.

And it happened…

I mentally counted backwards.

A month ago.

I guess some things never change.

**RPOV**

"Ryliee!"

Little Stephanie came rushing out of the children's cancer ward and hugged me around my legs.

"Hiya!" I said, hugging her back.

"Are you going to weed to us today?" she asked in her six-year-old voice.

I rubbed her hair-less head and smiled. "Yup."

It broke my heart to see so many young kids with cancer. Stephanie was one of the few lucky ones…she was going home in a few days after weeks of physical therapy and treatment…resulting in her loss of her beautiful blonde curls, which may never come back.

As I read aloud to the kids, as I do every day, I was reminded of why I was here in the first place.

It all happened two months ago. I had literally just turned 17 when I noticed a change in…everything.

My appetite went away. I'd be starving by lunch but I didn't want to eat. At all. So I lost weight…fast. My friend's noticed. I'd always been a sort of stronger build. Not fat, just…not as thin as some of the girls in my high school were.

But suddenly, I was as thin as…a pole. My best friends, Grace and William, noticed immediately.

What's worse…I lost love. As in the emotion…I felt nothing towards my friends and family…or what was left of my family. I knew who they were and that, deep down, I still loved them but I couldn't feel it.

And I forgot stuff! Like my friend Sandra's name. We'd been hanging out all day and then, I looked at her and I was like… "Wait, what's your name?"

It scared me. So I asked my foster mom, Elizabeth, to take me to the doctor. She did, even if she didn't care in the slightest if I lived or died.

My real mom died when I was thirteen, in a plane crash. She's a flight attendant…or, rather, she was. After the crash, my dad sent me and my brother, Jacob, into foster care. Later…he was found dead by the side of the road.

After that…I'm ashamed to say I lost my own brother. He was separated from me. No matter how much I begged and pleaded, they kept us apart.

I still haven't found him.

Anyway, I went to the doctor and discovered I had…diabetes.

That was it.

Diabetes.

I learned how to control my blood sugar and eventually returned to school. My appetite came back but…the love didn't.

I remember that, for a few weeks after my diagnosis, I was like a freak. The diabetic, the one who freshman science teachers asked me to come into their classes and give demonstrations, in front of everyone...That was me.

I went back to the doctor a month later, and they told me I had cancer…hormonal cancer, one that will suck your hormones and emotions away until you're a living shell…eventually killing you if it took hunger.  
It's a new development. Which is why, like every other cancer-type, it has no vaccine. I'm like the experiment they use.

And now…here I am, a month later.

Sick, weak, and reading to my fellow cancer-fighters.

What a life, huh?

**JPOV**

"Where's my laptop?" I growled.

"On the table, Jason," Nate said slowly.

I grabbed it, went to my favorite search-engine and typed in "Loss of pain."

Nothing.

Cursing to myself, I tried several other times.

Still nothing.

Shane looked over my shoulder. "What…are you looking for?" he asked.

"I…I don't know," I answered honestly. "Do you guys know anything about a disease that can…take away pain? Or emotions or something?"

"Like…hormonal cancer?" Nate asked.

I gave him a blank stare. _What?_

"Cancer that takes away feelings," he said slowly. I nodded, getting it.

Type...type.

_Hormonal Cancer_

Finally! I was getting somewhere.

It was a news article or something. I clicked it.

The page filled with lots of words, and, in the very center…

…The girl from my dream.

I caught my breath in surprise. She was real! And her picture was exactly like how I'd seen her.

She was staring at the camera through some kind of glass wall thing, anger in her dark, dark, beautiful eyes. Her hair was so…brown...I was entranced by it until I realized her arm was connected to an IV and a nurse was giving her a shot. I gulped.

So she was sick.

The article was a science magazine thing, with a headline of _**Seventeen-Year-Old Girl Diagnosed With Rare Form of Cancer.**_

My stomach dropped in horror.

No…no it couldn't really be actual cancer, right? That means…she's on her deathbed. Or she will be.

My eyes started to water. I swallowed hard.

"Dude, that chick is _hot_."

I started and realized Nate and Shane were leaning over my shoulders. Shane was the one who'd spoken.

"Shut up," I snarled. "And let me read this."

They shut up and I quickly scanned it.

_Seventeen year old Ryliee Brooks was diagnosed last week with a rare form of cancer. Up until her recent birthday on the tenth of December, she was a normal teenager. She noticed a change in her over all feelings…her emotions and hormones. Brooks was diagnosed with Diabetes but when things did not change, she was diagnosed with the rare form of Hormonal Cancer. _

The article went on with some of some other boring stuff that I didn't really pay attention to, until I came to…

_As of now, there is no cure for this disease. Ryliee's life may change until she is left with nothing at all, possibly ending with her death._

Death.

Death.

The word hit me until I thought I would be sick.

"No!" I burst out. "She can't die…she just can't…."

"Since when do you care about this kind of stuff?" Shane asked, opening the mini-fridge and cracking open a Coke.

"It's a really long story," I mumbled.

"We have time," Nate pointed out.

I sighed and gave a quick summary of my dream.

"I've got to find her, guys," I finished. "I don't know why but I just…_do. _It'll kill me if I don't…I really don't know why I want to find her so bad but I need to…to save her or something."

Nate nodded. "We'll help you," he said. "Where's she staying?"

I peered at the computer screen. "Uhm…St. Jude's Children's hospital in Arizona."

"Perfect!" Nate said, looking over my shoulder again. "We're staying there for a few days…we have a house there, remember? I think we'll find her, Jase."

"Don't we have like, a gig there?" Shane asked.

My eyes widened. Perfect!!!!! Now I can find her easily…or, easier, at least.

**RPOV**

"Where's Timothy?" I asked the group of bald-or-balding children in front of me.

Their eyes saddened. And I realized the awful truth.

"He'll be okay," I whispered. "I'm sure the tumor will be fixed…again."

The children stared back solemnly until I smiled and said "Well! Which story should we read?"

"Dr. Doolittle!" A little girl squealed, running up and handing me the book.

"This is one of my favorites," I said.

I cleared my throat before beginning.

"Once upon a time, many years ago- when our grandfathers were little children- there was a doctor and his name was Doolittle- John Doolittle, M.D...M.D. meaning that he was a proper doctor and knew a whole lot..."

* * *

**Alyssa:  
Angie and Mya are not here to do AN's but what i have to say is: OMG! WE FORGOT ABOUT THIS STORY!! AHH!!! ARE YOU STILL THERE TO READ IT?! AHH!! REVIEW TO HELP MY PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**JPOV**  
I stared out the window as we drove to our next show. As soon as I saw the "Welcome to Phoenix" display, I was literally bouncing in my seat. I was even closer to finding Ryliee...the girl of my dreams. Literally!

"Chillax Jason, you don't wanna hurt yourself......again," Shane said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that the bus was going to stop unexpectedly?" I retaliated. "I didn't kill myself."

My brothers rolled their eyes and I stared back out at the passing landscape.

And then...we passed it.

The sign announced its name: St. Jude's Research Hospital.

"THERE IT IS!!!!"

My shout was unexpected, causing my brothers to jump a mile each, Nate spilling his orange juice...all over Shane, in the process.

"Jason!" they both shouted, but I was bouncing in my seat again.

"There it is, Ryliee's there, she's there!" I was literally as close to the window as I could get. "Can we stop?"

"No," Nate growled. "We have to get to our house first, Jason."

And the hospital started to fade. My heart sunk.

"But I...I..."

"No, Jason," Shane said, like he was scolding a puppy. "Come on now; finish your breakfast while we clean up."

I dropped back into my seat, sighed, and dug into my Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the only word in my head being "torture".

* * *

**RPOV**

I woke up and groaned. Today was going to be like every other day. Uneventful.

"Morning Miss Ryliee," Nurse Rebecca said as she walked in with a tray, most likely my breakfast.

"Morning Becca," I replied sitting up in my bed.

"How are you feeling today?"

"The same way I felt yesterday," I replied sarcastically.

"That's nice," she said with a smile, "Now hurry up and eat, you have another therapy session today with Doctor Amelia."

Ugh. Not Again.

"Great," I said, trying to sound happy.

Unsuccessful of course.

"Now come on Ryliee, they are only doing this to try to get your emotions back, not to bore you to death."

"Well they're succeeding at the wrong thing," I muttered.

As usual Rebecca heard me. "We're doing our best, sweetie," she said. "Now eat, and then hurry, you don't want to me late."

"Of course not," I muttered, taking a bite of toast, and then one of my cereal. It was Cinnamon Toast Crunch, as usual. Good thing it was my favorite type of breakfast cereal...

A half an hour later, I was dressed in my jeans, sneakers and top, making my way to the physical therapy ward...or, in my case, the metal therapy ward.

With my case of cancer, the only thing I was losing was my emotions. I suppose I had something to be grateful for; at least the therapy I was going through didn't case me to lose my hair, which was one of the only things I really like about myself.

As I stepped inside my room, I caught sight of Stephanie with her therapist. She waved and grinned at me, and I smiled back. Little Steph was so brave...  
I remembered how she'd sat in my lap yesterday while I read to her and her friends. She always loved to run her little fingers through my dark brown hair. I knew I made her feel better, for some odd reason.

I stepped inside my room and sighed when I saw Dr. Amelia standing with a wide smile on her face.

"Good morning, Ryliee," she said happily.

"Good morning, Doctor," I returned politely. Dr. Amelia always got on my nerves.

"Today, I thought we'd use a different approach to therapy," the doctor said as I sat down in a plastic armchair.

"How so?" My voice was dead, uninterested. I knew there would never be a way to save me. I was a goner...and I accepted that as well as I could.

"For the past few weeks, we've been using memories, correct?"

I nodded. She'd made me remember some of my best memories of love and then have me concentrate on it, hard as I could. It never worked.

"Well, today, we're using another approach." Amelia stood and went to the curtain of the next room. "You like animals, right?"

I nodded eagerly. I love...I loved animals.

"Well then..." And with a dramatic sweep of her hand, the curtain was pulled back to reveal...

"Grace!" I exclaimed. "William!"

My best friends, their hands full of...fur?

Then I realized Grace held a little Yorkie puppy and William...my dear William, one I had loved for so long, held a delicate looking tabby cat in his arms.

Both my friends grinned widely and stepped inside. They put the animals down, and took turns giving me a hug. If I had love back, I'd be crying. I hadn't seen them in so long!

"I missed you guys!" I gasped as I hugged them.

"We missed you, too," Grace said, giving me a tight squeeze.

"We sure did," William said softly, as usual, as he gave me his hug. My heart would have normally pounded at this exchange.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, then turned to Amelia. "Amelia?"

"It was their idea," she admitted.

"I called last week," Grace explained. "They said you were in therapy and I asked how that was going and they said...well..." Her expression turned to embarrassment.

"They said it's not going well, huh?" I asked softly.

"Kind of," Grace nodded. "When they explained what they were doing, I almost blew up! Like that is going to do you any good! So...I suggested this way. You, with animals and us!" She put an arm around William's shoulders, a gesture that would have made me angry and jealous. But, as usual, nothing.

I ignored it though and my face broke into a smile. "That's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "You guys are the best."

Its then I realized who the animals belonged to. The Yorkie was Bo, Grace's dog, and the tabby was Mittens, William's cat.

I bent down to pet them, then smiled up at my friends and the doctor.

"Well?" I asked. "Let's get on with it!"

**

* * *

JPOV**

"Hey, Jason, do you mind getting your butt off the couch and getting your guitars from the bus?" Shane called as he passed me in the living room, his arms  
filled with boxes to take up to his temporary room.

I started. "What?"

"Start helping out, will you, Jase?" Mom asked gently.

Oh, yeah.

I raced to the bus and began grabbing the first things I could reach. Guitars, suitcases, and other things we would occupy for our stay here.

The only thought in my head was:

The faster everything gets done, the faster I can see Ryliee.

I was like a child racing through his chores to go and play outside, taking things inside and putting them in the first empty spot I saw.

Soon enough the bus was empty.

"Can we go to the hospital now?" I asked eagerly.

Nate gave me a long look. "Jason, the gig's not until tonight," he said slowly. "In the mean time, we have an interview, remember?"

"But...but...but I...Ryliee..." I whispered, heartbroken.

"Dude, it's only a few more hours," Shane said. "Relax."

I nodded my head sadly.

"Injustice."

I trudged inside, grabbed my Gibson, and plopped onto my bed, sighing.

Today was just not my day.

**

* * *

RPOV**

I trudged to my room and collapsed on the hospital cot, Grace and William behind me. I sighed. "Thanks for trying, guys."

Four hours. Four. Damn. Hours. Four hours straight had we all tried...me, Amelia, Grace, William...to get my emotions back. William even kissed me on the cheek, in desperation.

Still nothing.

"We're coming back, Ryliee," Grace said firmly. "Tomorrow and the next day and until forever to get your emotions back." Her eyes were swimming in tears; I knew it hurt her to see me like this.

"Yeah," William agreed. "Forever, Ryliee. You'll feel everything again."

I sighed again. "Thanks guys."

They smiled, then Grace sighed. "We, um...we gotta go," she said hesitantly. "I have a babysitting job and..."

"My mom expects me home for my brother's birthday," William added, rolling his eyes.

I nodded and managed a smile. "Well, that's fine. I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

"Okay."

We hugged goodbye and they left, casting smiles through the glass wall as they left.

When they'd disappeared, I grabbed my ancient electric guitar (the only thing left in memory of my mother...It was hers when she was younger), tuned it, then just flopped back on my bed, sighing.

Today was just not my day.

* * *

**Alyssa: Poor people. Don't worry...they will be together soon...maybe.**

**And from my co-authors: We made some awesome banners for our stories! The URLs are on our profile. There's one for this story, A Night In The Band Room, The Only One...hey! Why are you still reading!?! Review and go check them out!  
REVIEW!!**


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